Wenger: Cazorla extension to be decided in January

With Santi Cazorla's Arsenal future hanging in the balance, Gunners gaffer Arsene Wenger insists the club will make a decision on a contract extension early in the new year.

"Santi has six months left and we have an option," Wenger told reporters, according to the Evening Standard's James Benge. "The decision on him will be taken in January."

Related: Arsenal's Cazorla to undergo ankle surgery, expected out 3 months

Set to turn 32 later this month and plagued by a serious injury for the second successive campaign, Cazorla's Emirates tenure appears tethered to the two variables that often signal a footballer's decline.

Wenger doesn't see it that way.

"No, it does not depend on his fitness. It's my decision only. Santi is an exceptional player and it's just for him to be capable to play."

Cazorla, who joined Arsenal in 2012 from Andalusian outfit Malaga, has a two-year contract that expires in the summer.

Since joining the club, his 35 Premier League assists are second only to Manchester City's David Silva (37) during that period, with the Gunners boasting a 65.2 winning percentage with the diminutive Spaniard in the lineup versus 46.4 without.

Related: Cazorla pledges he'll return in 2 months, not 3

While Cazorla's impact on Arsenal's title-winning ambitions is inarguable, Wenger said the midfield maestro's virtues extend beyond the pitch.

"The dressing room needs a balance between experienced and youth team players. You needed to be guided as well by some experienced players when you go through difficult times," Wenger said. "They help you always keep your feet on the ground and keep focused."

His missing influence was evident as the Gunners slogged through a drab November rife with dropped points, and Wenger's still attempting to find the perfect midfield tandem in Cazorla's absence.

"When I play Santi most of the time I have (Francis) Coquelin because he is a really defensive breaker of attacks. He gives Santi more freedom," the Frenchman explained. "He is a more offensive player first although he is disciplined tactically. He is not a ball winner but a more creative player."

With Cazorla aiming for an early February return, Arsenal must find a suitable replacement for an irreplaceable player. Granit Xhaka, come on down.

"We are close with the balance as (Granit) Xhaka in midfield is moving upwards. He has a different influence to Santi," Wenger continued. "Santi is more of a guy who gets out of very tight situations with a very short technique, right and left foot, while Xhaka has a pass and is not a dribbler. He passes through the lines."